Vice Chancellors Lead the Way in AI-Ready Higher Education

In a landmark move towards building AI readiness in Indian universities, the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA), and the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), jointly organised an AI Masterclass for 60 Vice Chancellors (VCs) from Indian Universities on 11 June 2025 in New Delhi, India. The event aimed to foster a deeper understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its transformative potential across education, research, and administration.

The conference commenced with a welcome address by Dr Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General, AIU. In his address, Dr B. Shadrach, Director of COL-CEMCA, underscored the vision of equipping university leaders with the necessary knowledge to navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape, which translated into the AI Masterclass for VCs. “It is essential that our Vice Chancellors not only understand AI’s capabilities but also lead strategic integration of AI into institutional frameworks,” he stated.

Professor Vinay Kumar Pathak, President of AIU, set the tone for the session by describing AI as “the new normal for universities, industries, and civilisations.” Drawing on examples from global tech giants and Indian innovation, Prof. Pathak emphasised the urgency for institutions to build AI infrastructure and offer cross-disciplinary AI education. “AI is no longer just for computer scientists. We must introduce AI for all—be it for fine arts, social sciences, or pharmacy,” he asserted.

Dr Chandrasekhar Anantram, Visiting Professor at IITD and IIIT, New Delhi, began his session by presenting compelling real-world applications of AI in sectors ranging from healthcare and wildlife conservation to finance and education. He highlighted AI’s capacity to personalise education, support visually impaired learners, and assist in dynamic assessments and curriculum development.

The Masterclass continued with an engaging presentation on practical applications of AI, including generative AI and virtual reality-based solutions. A significant focus was placed on prompt engineering, offering hands-on guidance to help participants craft effective prompts for optimal outcomes. Another segment explored the role of AI in academic leadership, decision-making, governance, and everyday efficiency, supported by a real-life case study demonstrating how AI was leveraged to enhance institutional operations. This was followed by a discussion on reimagining higher education through digital transformation, data, and AI. The final session highlighted innovations in personalised learning and the impact of generative AI within the higher education landscape.

This high-level engagement marked a pivotal step in mainstreaming AI literacy across Indian higher education leadership, paving the way for a future-ready academic ecosystem.

Pictures courtesy of AIU